Dan Phelan became Chief of Staff with primary responsibility for leading the critical support functions for GSK in May 2008. He is a member of the Corporate Executive Team. He was Senior Vice President, Human Resources, GlaxoSmithKline since January 2001. Previously, he had held the same position in SmithKline Beecham.
Dan joined the company as Manager of Labour Relations in 1981 and, in 1986, was named Vice President, Employee Relations. In 1987, he became Vice President, Human Resources and, in 1989, was appointed Vice President and Director Personnel-US, Pharmaceuticals. He later became Senior Vice President and Director, Operations and Administration, Research & Development.
Dan is an honours graduate of Rutgers University, New Jersey. He served as an officer in the US Army Medical Service Corps, returning to Ohio State University for a Master's degree in higher education administration. He was a director in the Office of Student Services at Ohio State for three years. He returned to Rutgers, where he earned a Law degree. Following an internship with the National Labor Relations Board and a clerkship with the Chief Judge of the US Federal District Court in New Jersey, he joined the labour department of a major Philadelphia law firm. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Dan is a member of the Board of Directors of Tyco Electronics. He is also a member of the Dean's Advisory Council at Rutgers School of Law-Camden.
